Crossing the road.

On average four pedestrians a day are knocked over by a vehicle in Italys capital city.

This alarming figure has recently emerged from traffic police reports.

One of the principal causes is that pedestrian crossings have, over time, become invisible

and road maintenance is proving inept in dealing with the problem.

This is only the tip of the iceberg an even bigger problem is the fact that only a small minority of drivers respect even visible crossings and allow pedestrians to pass only 10 percent, according to a recent survey by Il Messaggero newspaper.

However, traffic police commander Angelo Giuliani points out that it is not just drivers at fault: Similarly, pedestrians all to often cross where they shouldnt, creating further chaos on Roman roads.

Pedestrians are quick to respond to this accusation, If one has to wait at pedestrian crossings for cars to allow you past, you could be end up waiting until nightfall.